Adjusting to the table

In any variant of poker it’s important to recognise how your table is playing and adjust your game/ image accordingly in an attempt to maximise your profitability.

Throughout this article we will look at understanding your table, tight table strategy, loose table strategy and table image before looking over the key points.

Understanding your Table

When you sit at a table it’s important to use the first few orbits to overview how your table is playing.

The quicker you do this the easier it will be to adjust your game and maximise your edge versus each opponent.

With each table will come a different table dynamic. Whilst not always the most profitable, a tight table can still open opportunities for you to exploit your opponents weaknesses and will require you to adopt a looser table image to do so.

A loose table may require you to tighten up a little due to the fact your opponents are playing so many hands, this then allows you to play a stronger range versus them and value bet your premium hands.

Tight table Strategy

A tight table will often consists of players playing somewhere around 15% of hands in full ring. Due to their tight range pre flop this means we need to reduce our calling range as it’s likely they will have us dominated with our ‘standard’ range.

What we can do however is start opening more pre flop. Due to our opponents playing fewer hands, it will result in us being able to steal a lot easier thus, a lot lighter.

Position is also a factor at tight tables, and when in position we should look to use this to our advantage. For example, in any scenario where we happen to be on the button and it gets folded around to us with two tight players in the big and small blind, we should be looking to open a lot of hands in this situation due to the high percentage of times they will fold.

It is important to not overkill how much we open pre flop though. Just because their strategy is to play tight does not mean that they aren’t aware of how we are adjusting to the table. Look to pick good spots in which to use how tight an opponent is playing to your advantage.

Loose Table Strategy

A loose table will consist of a table average of 30%+ hands played per player. It’s often at these loose tables where we are more likely to see the maniac fish type players of which we strive for.

However, some of the best players at any given level will play a loose and aggressive style. Use your clients lobby to take a look at the percentage of hands played at a table before sitting down.

Often at a loose table it will require us to tighten up somewhat, compared to that of a tight table. This is because we don’t need to force the action in these situations as our opponents are doing the betting for us.

The best strategy is to remain relatively tight and look to get paid off with your premium/ high value hands. It’s likely that we will get some action no matter what hand we enter the pot with due to the loose nature of the table.

Conversely, it’s important to not stay too tight. As with tight tables, just because a player is playing in a different style then what you are does not mean they aren’t aware of their opponents. Stay active but try not to get too involved with lesser hands by fighting fire with fire.

Table Image

Adjusting your table image can be one of the most profitable tools in poker, but it needs to be done after you have established your opponent’s image. As previously mentioned, you will be looking to adjust depending on how your table is playing in an attempt to counteract your opponents playing styles.

We can manipulate our table image at any time allowing us to take different lines in a hand with different holdings. Doing so will improve our meta-game and make it difficult for players to pick up reads or betting patterns against us.

Key points

• Spend the first few orbits observing how your table is playing
• Adjust your game accordingly to counteract their styles
• If you’re on a tight table, lessen your calling range but widen your opening range
• If you’re on a loose table, call more in position but open fewer hands for value
• Once you have established your table image, look to exploit your opponents by mixing your plays up
• Don’t over adjust. Too tight on a loose table will gain you no respect, too loose on a tight table will mean your opponents will play back for value

If you like to play at an online poker room with a large choice of games and tables, PokerStars has the largest selection on the Web where you can practice your adjusting to the table.